There is increasing convergence between media consumption and social networking/communication schemes, resulting in various types of shared media experiences such as social television. A social television framework allows one or more participants at each of two or more different locations who are watching television to communicate with one another via a communication system that can be integrated with the television equipment. A typical communication system allows for various social groups to be defined and can provide information of interest to participants on respective television screens. This information can include who else in a defined group is watching television, what channels and programs the others are watching, program suggestions, and historical information such as viewing habits. The communication system facilitates communication between these participants, where the communication can be in the form of text messages, emoticons, voice communication, or (less commonly) video conferencing.
For example, a buddy list of a participant can be displayed on a portion of that participant's television screen which lists other members in one or more defined groups of that participant and indicates whether each member is currently watching television (presence) and what program is being watched (content). Pre-defined communication options can be made available to the participants, including for example a set of standard text messages, or a set of graphical emoticons such as an “exclamation mark smiley”, a “thumbs up smiley”, and a “thumbs down smiley”. These can provide a simple way to comment on the program or exchange greetings between group members without necessarily getting engaged in further conversations.
Further, a text chat feature similar to instant messaging (IM) can be provided. In this case, a participant can select, via a user interface, a buddy from the buddy list (the buddy must be active, but can be watching a different channel), then type and send a message. The message then appears on a portion of the buddy's television screen in a chat window, thus initiating a conversation. The chat window can easily be hidden so as not to obstruct the television program. Participants can be in multiple text chats at the same time and switch between them.
Voice communication can also be supported through the use of microphones and the establishment of audio links between participants at different locations. For example, echo-cancelling microphones can be placed at a convenient location such as on a coffee table in front of the television. A participant can select a buddy from the buddy list and call him or her. If the buddy accepts the incoming call, an audio link is set up and the call starts directly. The voice of a remote participant is transmitted through the television speakers, mixed in with the audio from the television program. Typically, the microphone sensitivity and the volumes of the voices and the television program audio can be muted and adjusted independently. Group calls are also possible. A call can be set up with multiple people from the start, or more people can be invited to join an ongoing call. There is no particular ownership of a call; any participant can invite more people to join, and the call lasts for as long as any two participants remain. Typically, it is only possible to join a call by invitation, and each participant can only be in one call at a time. When in a voice conversation, or when invited to a voice call, a list of all the current participants in the call is provided.
Participants can start and maintain voice conversations with their buddies whether or not they are watching the same TV station or program. It is also possible to take part in both a voice and a text conversation simultaneously, either with the same participants (e.g., using text as a backchannel in a voice conversation), or in different conversations with different people.
Thus a typical communication system in a social television framework facilitates interactions between participants who can be remote from each other. There are, however, opportunities to develop an improved communication system in a social television framework.